The present invention relates to analysing a packet radio cellular communications network. The present invention is applicable to, but not limited to, General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) cellular communications networks. The present invention can be used in conjunction with cellular radio communication systems such as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and also the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) currently under standardisation.
One type of communications system is a cellular communications system. In a cellular communications system, the area over which service is provided is divided into a number of smaller areas called cells. Typically each cell is served from a base transceiver station (BTS) which has a corresponding antenna or antennas for transmission to and reception from a user station, normally a mobile station. Presently established cellular radio communications systems include GSM systems (Global System for Mobile Communications).
In systems such as GSM, voice communications and data communications pass through the same communications paths as each other. Thus an arrangement that is fully suited to speech is not necessarily fast enough for data traffic. In view of this, packet radio cellular communications networks are being introduced to handle data, preferably in an architecture compatible to be used as an overlay with an existing cellular radio communications system that can still handle speech and some data as required. One such system is known as General Packet Radio Services (GPRS), and this will work in conjunction with GSM systems. Packet radio systems are generally based on units called packet radio support nodes, in the case of GPRS these are for example a Serving GPRS Support Node and a Gateway GPRS Support Node.
In systems such as GSM and GPRS the network is managed, for example statistics gathered and monitored or analysed, by operational units called Operations and Maintenance Centres (OMC). Conventionally one or more OMC""s are required for the radio parts of a network, and they are each known as an Operations and Maintenance Centre-Radio (OMC-R). Conventionally also, one or more OMC""s are required for the switching parts of a GSM network, and they are each known as an Operations and Maintenance Centre-Switch (OMC-S). Conventionally the OMC-R and the OMC-S are separate units, often operated by different operators.
The present inventor has envisaged that packet radio systems should most suitably have a further type of OMC specific to the support nodes, which in the case of GPRS can be named Operations and Maintenance Centre-GPRS (OMC-G). This will mean that the statistics collected respectively from the OMC-R and the OMC-G will be separate, even to the extent of being defined by different names and being expressed in different units. The present inventor has envisaged however that due to the very nature of packet radio, namely that data will be sent in packets whose contents the carrying system is unconcerned with, it will be especially desirable to be able to consider the statistics from the OMC-R in conjunction with those from the OMC-G. However, conventional means of just listing the separate statistics together for an operator to interpret is disadvantageous, because the statistics will be disparate and must be continually interpreted in some intelligent sense on an ongoing basis to understand any overall effect derivable therefrom.
The present invention advantageously implements a means for the statistics of the overall system to be jointly employed in a powerful but simple manner. Moreover, the present invention advantageously provides a basis for more powerful insight into the operation of the network to be gained from versions of combined statistics facilitated by the present invention to an extent greater than would be the case by just bringing the various statistics together in a conventional manner.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of analysing a packet radio cellular communications network, as claimed in claim 1.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for analysing a packet radio cellular communications network, as claimed in claim 7.
Further aspects of the invention are as claimed in the dependent claims.
Additional specific advantages are apparent from the following description and figures.